Spin-unrestricted random-phase approximation with range separation: Benchmark on atomization energies and reaction barrier heights

Lagrangian-Based Minimal-Overhead Batching Scheme for the Efficient Integral-Direct Evaluation of the RPA Correlation Energy

A highly memory-efficient integral-direct random phase approximation (RPA) method based on our ω-CDGD-RI-RPA method [Graf, D. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2018, 14, 2505] is presented that completely alleviates the memory bottleneck of storing the multidimensional three-center integral tensor, which severely limited the tractable system sizes. Based on a Lagrangian formulation, we introduce an optimized batching scheme over the auxiliary and basis-function indices, which allows to compute the optimal number of batches for a given amount of system memory, while minimizing the batching overhead. Thus, our optimized batching constitutes the best tradeoff between program runtime and memory demand. Within this batching scheme, the half-transformed three-center integral tensor B_iμ^M is recomputed for each batch of auxiliary and basis functions. This allows the computation of systems that were out of reach before. The largest system within this work consists of a DNA fragment comprising 1052 atoms and 11 230 basis functions calculated on a single node, which emphasizes the new possibilities of our integral-direct RPA method.

Self-Interaction-Corrected Random Phase Approximation

The short-range correlation energy of the random phase approximation (RPA) is too negative and is often corrected by local or nonlocal methods. These beyond-RPA corrections usually lead to a mixed performance for thermodynamics and dissociation properties. RPA+ is an additive correction based on density functional approximations that often gives realistic total energies for atoms or solids. RPA+ adds a moderate correction to the ionization energies/electron affinities of RPA but does not yield an improvement beyond RPA for atomization energies of molecules. This incompleteness results in severely underestimated atomization energies just like in RPA. Exchange-correlation kernels within the Dyson equation could simultaneously improve atomization, ionization energies, and electron affinities, but their implementation is computationally less feasible in localized basis set codes. In preceding work ( Phys. Rev. A 100, 2019022515), two of the authors proposed a computationally efficient generalized RPA+ (gRPA+) that changes RPA+ only for spin-polarized systems by making gRPA+ exact for all one-electron densities. gRPA+ was found to yield a large improvement of ionization energies and electron affinities of light atoms over RPA, and a smaller improvement over RPA+. Within this work, we investigate to what extent this improvement transfers to atomization energies, ionization energies, and electron affinities of molecules, using a modified gRPA+ (mgRPA+) method that can be applied in codes with localized basis functions. We thereby aim to understand the applicability of beyond-RPA corrections based on density functional approximations.

A new form of transcorrelated Hamiltonian inspired by range-separated DFT

The present work introduces a new form of explicitly correlated factor in the context of the transcorrelated methods. The new correlation factor is obtained from the r₁₂ ≈ 0 mathematical analysis of the transcorrelated Hamiltonian, and its analytical form is obtained such that the leading order in 1/r₁₂ of the scalar part of the effective two-electron potential reproduces the long-range interaction of the range-separated density functional theory. The resulting correlation factor exactly imposes the cusp and is tuned by a unique parameter μ, which controls both the depth of the coulomb hole and its typical range in r₁₂. The transcorrelated Hamiltonian obtained with such a new correlation factor has a straightforward analytical expression depending on the same parameter μ, and its physical contents continuously change by varying μ: One can change from a non-divergent repulsive Hamiltonian at large μ to a purely attractive one at small μ. We investigate the convergence of the ground state eigenvalues and right eigenvectors of such a new transcorrelated Hamiltonian as a function of the basis set and as a function of μ on a series of two-electron systems. We found that the convergence toward the complete basis set is much faster for quite a wide range of values of μ. We also propose a specific value of μ, which essentially reproduces the results obtained with the frozen Gaussian geminal introduced by Ten-no [Chem. Phys. Lett. 330, 169 (2000)].

A range-separated generalized Kohn-Sham method including a long-range nonlocal random phase approximation correlation potential

Based on our recently published range-separated random phase approximation (RPA) functional [Kreppel et al., "Range-separated density-functional theory in combination with the random phase approximation: An accuracy benchmark," J. Chem. Theory Comput. 16, 2985-2994 (2020)], we introduce self-consistent minimization with respect to the one-particle density matrix. In contrast to the range-separated RPA methods presented so far, the new method includes a long-range nonlocal RPA correlation potential in the orbital optimization process, making it a full-featured variational generalized Kohn-Sham (GKS) method. The new method not only improves upon all other tested RPA schemes including the standard post-GKS range-separated RPA for the investigated test cases covering general main group thermochemistry, kinetics, and noncovalent interactions but also significantly outperforms the popular G₀W₀ method in estimating the ionization potentials and fundamental gaps considered in this work using the eigenvalue spectra obtained from the GKS Hamiltonian.

Ring coupled cluster doubles at the multireference level

A ring approximation within an internally contracted multireference (MR) Coupled Cluster (CC) framework is worked out and tested. Derivation of equations utilizes MR based, generalized normal ordering and the corresponding generalized Wick-theorem (MR-GWT). Contractions among cluster operators are avoided by adopting a normal ordered exponential ansatz. The original version of the MR ring CC doubles (MR-rCCD) equations [Á. Szabados and Á. Margócsy, Mol. Phys. 115, 2731 (2017)] is rectified in two aspects. On the one hand, over-completeness of double excitations is treated by relying on the concept of frames. On the other hand, restriction on the maximal cumulant rank is lifted from two to four. This is found essential for obtaining reliable correlation corrections to the energy. The MR function underlying the approach is provided by the Generalized Valence Bond (GVB) model. The pair structure of the reference ensures a fragment structure of GVB cumulants. This represents a benefit when evaluating cumulant contractions appearing as a consequence of MR-GWT. In particular, cumulant involving terms remain less expensive than their traditional, pair-contracted counterpart, facilitating an O(N⁶) eventual scaling of the proposed MR-rCCD method. Pilot applications are presented for covalent bond breaking, deprotonation energies, and torsional potentials.

Range-Separated Density-Functional Theory in Combination with the Random Phase Approximation: An Accuracy Benchmark

A formulation of range-separated random phase approximation (RPA) based on our efficient ω-CDGD-RI-RPA [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2018, 14, 2505] method and a large scale benchmark study are presented. By application to the GMTKN55 data set, we obtain a comprehensive picture of the performance of range-separated RPA in general main group thermochemistry, kinetics, and noncovalent interactions. The results show that range-separated RPA performs stably over the broad range of molecular chemistry included in the GMTKN55 set. It improves significantly over semilocal DFT but it is still less accurate than modern dispersion corrected double-hybrid functionals. Furthermore, range-separated RPA shows a faster basis set convergence compared to standard full-range RPA making it a promising applicable approach with only one empirical parameter.

Range-separated double-hybrid density-functional theory with coupled-cluster and random-phase approximations

We construct range-separated double-hybrid (RSDH) schemes which combine coupled-cluster or random-phase approximations (RPAs) with a density functional based on a two-parameter Coulomb-attenuating-method-like decomposition of the electron-electron interaction. We find that the addition of a fraction of short-range electron-electron interaction in the wave-function part of the calculation is globally beneficial for the RSDH scheme involving a variant of the RPA with exchange terms. Even though the latter scheme is globally as accurate as the corresponding scheme employing only second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory for atomization energies, reaction barrier heights, and weak intermolecular interactions of small molecules, it is more accurate for the more complicated case of the benzene dimer in the stacked configuration. The present RSDH scheme employing a RPA thus represents a new member in the family of double hybrids with minimal empiricism which could be useful for general chemical applications.

A Density-Based Basis-Set Correction for Wave Function Theory

We report a universal density-based basis-set incompleteness correction that can be applied to any wave function method. This correction, which appropriately vanishes in the complete basis-set (CBS) limit, relies on short-range correlation density functionals (with multideterminant reference) from range-separated density-functional theory (RS-DFT) to estimate the basis-set incompleteness error. Contrary to conventional RS-DFT schemes that require an ad hoc range-separation parameter μ, the key ingredient here is a range-separation function μ(r) that automatically adapts to the spatial nonhomogeneity of the basis-set incompleteness error. As illustrative examples, we show how this density-based correction allows us to obtain CCSD(T) atomization and correlation energies near the CBS limit for the G2 set of molecules with compact Gaussian basis sets.

A general range-separated double-hybrid density-functional theory

A range-separated double-hybrid (RSDH) scheme which generalizes the usual range-separated hybrids and double hybrids is developed. This scheme consistently uses a two-parameter Coulomb-attenuating-method (CAM)-like decomposition of the electron-electron interaction for both exchange and correlation in order to combine Hartree-Fock exchange and second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) correlation with a density functional. The RSDH scheme relies on an exact theory which is presented in some detail. Several semi-local approximations are developed for the short-range exchange-correlation density functional involved in this scheme. After finding optimal values for the two parameters of the CAM-like decomposition, the RSDH scheme is shown to have a relatively small basis dependence and to provide atomization energies, reaction barrier heights, and weak intermolecular interactions globally more accurate or comparable to range-separated MP2 or standard MP2. The RSDH scheme represents a new family of double hybrids with minimal empiricism which could be useful for general chemical applications.

Construction and application of a new dual-hybrid random phase approximation

The direct random phase approximation (dRPA) combined with Kohn-Sham reference orbitals is among the most promising tools in computational chemistry and applicable in many areas of chemistry and physics. The reason for this is that it scales as N(4) with the system size, which is a considerable advantage over the accurate ab initio wave function methods like standard coupled-cluster. dRPA also yields a considerably more accurate description of thermodynamic and electronic properties than standard density-functional theory methods. It is also able to describe strong static electron correlation effects even in large systems with a small or vanishing band gap missed by common single-reference methods. However, dRPA has several flaws due to its self-correlation error. In order to obtain accurate and precise reaction energies, barriers and noncovalent intra- and intermolecular interactions, we construct a new dual-hybrid dRPA (hybridization of exact and semilocal exchange in both the energy and the orbitals) and test the performance of this new functional on isogyric, isodesmic, hypohomodesmotic, homodesmotic, and hyperhomodesmotic reaction classes. We also use a test set of 14 Diels-Alder reactions, six atomization energies (AE6), 38 hydrocarbon atomization energies, and 100 reaction barrier heights (DBH24, HT-BH38, and NHT-BH38). For noncovalent complexes, we use the NCCE31 and S22 test sets. To test the intramolecular interactions, we use a set of alkane, cysteine, phenylalanine-glycine-glycine tripeptide, and monosaccharide conformers. We also discuss the delocalization and static correlation errors. We show that a universally accurate description of chemical properties can be provided by a large, 75% exact exchange mixing both in the calculation of the reference orbitals and the final energy.